Nowadays, we are made to believe that we can, with a bit of luck, all have relatively pain and error-free lives. The reality is life is fundamentally catastrophic and tragic in structure. None of us will get through this life without some grave and searing reversals and that's okay. Going through those catastrophic times doesn't mean we've been cursed, we're just human - and we need to be prepared and have plenty of compassion for ourselves and others. Understanding and acknowledging that this happens and is actually essential to our personal growth helps us prepare and deal with them better.